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When Grandmama Fell off the Boat is an anthology of the humorous
verse of Harry Graham, one of the early 20th century’s wittiest
writers. Graham made his name as the author of Ruthless Rhymes for
Heartless Homes, published in 1898 under the pseudonym Col. D.
Streamer (he was a Coldstream Guard). He went on to become a
successful writer of stage-show lyrics, and in 1923 had five
smash-hit musicals running simultaneously in the West End of
London. His work was published not only in England but also in
America, where he was credited with introducing ‘sick’ verse.
The Times in its 1936 obituary compared him with Edward Lear, Lewis
Carroll and W. S. Gilbert, an epitaph that has stood the test of
time. Graham’s secret is his ability to relate common episodes
with a sardonic twist. A father irritated by his crying infant
finds peace and quiet by popping him in the Frigidaire and a man
whose wife elopes with the chauffeur despairs of ever starting the
car. His callous and quotable rhymes became the table talk of a
generation, influencing emerging writers such as W. H. Auden,
George Orwell and Agatha Christie.
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